Attack on Titan: Bloodline – Chapter 32 (March 7, 2022)
The next evening, Eren walked downstairs with a yawn. Lorraine, her arm rewrapped in a sling, looked up. Mikasa, who was helping Lorraine with the laundry, turned and scolded, "Eren, what are you doing? You should still be in bed, recovering!"
Eren sighed, "I'm fine. I already slept a whole day. Besides," he continued, walking over to help prepare food for dinner, picking up a potato and a knife, "It's my fault the plan's likely being thrown out, so helping out is the least I can do."
"No," Mikasa said, "You tried, Eren. Don't beat yourself up over it."
"Enough," Eren said sadly.
Connie said, shaking, "All I want is revenge. All I care about now is getting a chance to take down the Beast Titan. That hairy bastard took everything from me. My home. My family. I want it dead." He took a deep breath and set the knife and potato he was holding on the counter. He said, "Mikasa. I-it's about time to switch lookouts. Ready?" Mikasa looked up at Eren for a moment, then nodded. She picked up the washed laundry and she, Lorraine, and Connie walked outside, leaving Eren and Historia standing alone in the kitchen.
"Must be nice," Historia said under her breath. Eren looked back at her. She continued, "You and the others know what you want, even though it won't be easy to get. But without Ymir, I've lost my purpose. I don't even know what I'm fighting for anymore."
"Saving her is something to fight for, isn't it?"
"I guess so. At the time, I didn't really understand what she was doing. I just wanted her to be safe. Since then, I've been thinking. Ymir chose her own path and I have no right to change that. She doesn't need me to."
Eren smiled and said, "It's about time you started talking again." She looked up at him. He said, "Since we've been here, you haven't said a word. You stopped smiling, too."
"Why should I bother?"
"What do you mean?"
"Sorry, but the sweet little Krista you thought you knew doesn't exist anymore."
Eren nodded and said, "Good. I didn't really like her much anyway. There's no one who's actually as nice as you pretended to be. It was unnatural and, to be honest with you, kind of exhausting." Historia's face dropped.
"I see."
"Hey, but now," Eren said, grinning awkwardly, "Now, you're just a normal girl. Stupidly honest, maybe, but still normal." His face turned serious and he said, "Look. You don't have to decide about Ymir just yet." Sasha opened the door hurriedly.
"Hanji and the others are back!" she called out to everyone, "We're meeting in the main room!"
Levi, Moblit, and Hanji sat at the dining room table while the rest of the Scout Regiment gathered and stopped what they were doing. Mikasa and Lorraine made tea and set out cups for everyone as the rest of the group joined their superiors, quietly chattering amongst themselves. Finally, Levi cleared his throat.
"Hanji and Moblit, what was it you wanted to speak to us all about?"
Hanji said, "I'm sorry, but Pastor Nick..." She sighed sadly, "He was murdered." The room fell totally silent and everyone stared at her in shock. She elaborated, "Today, in the Trost Barracks. The MPs were already at the scene. They said there had been a lot of murder cases similar to that of Pastor Nick's lately, but I don't buy it for one second. His nails were ripped out."
"Tortured for information," Levi muttered.
Hanji nodded and said, "That's exactly what I was thinking. The Military Police soldier that was there was one Djel Sannes. He's from the First Interior Squad, so it was strange that he would be in Trost investigating the murder of a member of the Order of the Walls. When I shook his hand, I noticed that the skin on his knuckles was split open. I think that Nick was tortured by the Interior Military Police, then murdered." She rested her head in her hands on the table and said, "I figured the Church would want to get their hands on Nick when they learned he was cooperating with the Scouts. That's exactly why I hid his identity and had him stay in the barracks." Moblit placed his hand on her shoulder and she continued, "I never imagined they would use soldiers to get to him. I'm sorry. This was my fault. I should have been more careful." Levi took a sip of his tea.
"So, they tortured him," Armin said, "presumably for information, but what did they want from him? Did they want to know what he'd passed on to us?"
Levi said, "Most likely, but these are the Interior MPs we're dealing with, so it's more than likely that there's something more to it all." He turned to Hanji and asked, "How many nails was the good pastor missing?" Hanji looked up from her tea and Levi repeated, "How many nails was he missing? You saw, right?"
Hanji said, "I only caught a glimpse of him, but all the nail beds I saw were empty."
Levi furrowed his brows and said, "People who talk usually do so after just one. If they don't, then ripping out more is pointless." He took another sip of his tea.
"I'm impressed. Didn't really think highly of Pastor Nick, but whatever his faults, he stuck by his beliefs until the very end."
He set his cup on the table and continued, "Which means, they have no idea about Historia and the Reiss family." Historia grimaced.
"Captain Levi, Sir," she said in a low voice, "I need to tell you something. Actually...I need everyone to hear this." She took a breath and said, "I-it's about how I got to where I am now." The room all turned their attentions to the blonde and listened intently to her story. Historia closed her eyes for a moment, then started recounting her story.
"I was born on a small farmstead in the northern lands of Wall Rose. It was owned by the Reiss family. As far back as I can remember, I was always helping out around the farm, but my mother, a beautiful woman, was always reading books. She didn't care to work and no one cared to make her. Most nights, someone would come to pick her up and take her to the city. She would dress up in fancy clothes and get into a carriage. By then, that was just life as I knew it."
She took a small sip of her tea and continued, "When I learned to read and write, I started to pick up books and read to imitate my mother. They taught me just how alone I really was. In all the stories I read in my books, parents cared about and loved their children. They talked to them, hugged them, and scolded them." She looked out the window at the setting sun.
"I had never experienced any of that, so one day, out of curiosity, I hugged my mother. I just wanted to see what kind of face she would make."
Historia bit her lip. She said, "My mother ended up shoving me away, but that was the first time I had ever gotten any attention at all from her. I was...happy in that moment...but I...I remember the exact words she said to me. 'If only I weren't such a coward...then I could have killed it.'" Lorraine stared at her. Historia sighed, "Those were the very first words my mother ever spoke to me. After that, she went to live elsewhere. I didn't see her for a long time. Then, five years ago, just a few days after the fall of Wall Maria, I met my father. Rod Reiss." She looked down at her lap.
"He was the Lord of the land that I had grown up on. The mother I hadn't seen in years was outside. She looked terribly frightened. My father told me that I would be living with him, but as we were walking out to the carriage, a tall stranger with a dark trenchcoat and a large-brimmed hat confronted us. He threatened my mother with a knife and told my father something about him being reckless and secrets, referring to me and my mother. When I tried to defend my mom, she screamed that she didn't even know who I was. My father let go of my hand in that moment and my mother was murdered in front of me. Right before the stranger could do the same to me, my father stepped in and made a proposition. I was to be sent off to join the Cadet Corps and my name would be changed to Krista Lenz, just like the sweet, caring girl in my book. I would start a new life and leave behind everything I ever knew."
Historia jumped, startled by the sudden entrance of a young, red-haired female soldier. It was Nifa. She jogged in hurriedly and said, bowing apologetically and handing Levi a note, "Sorry to interrupt, but I've been sent by Commander Erwin. Here." Levi's eyes quickly scanned the words scrawled on the slip of paper, then stood up, picking up his teacup.
"Get the supplies and your gear. We're leaving. Now."
As the Scouts stood up and started to gather their supplies, Levi said, "Make it look like we were never here." The Levi Squad was confused, but did as the Captain ordered without question, grabbing their rations and supplies and shoving them into bags, not caring to think about the placement or organization of things at that moment. As they were leaving, they saw torchlights in the distance, growing closer. They jumped onto their horses and rode quickly into the woods, watching behind them as the soldiers, presumably the Military Police, closed in on the cabin. Lorraine asked under her breath, "Why are they here?"
"I don't know," Armin muttered, "Just keep your eyes on the road ahead for now. Captain Levi's got it all under control, I'm sure." Moblit rode up next to them and said sternly, "You two, please be quiet for now." Lorraine and Armin murmured a hurried apology and continued on alongside the group. They rode for at least a mile and traversed up a steep hill that overlooked the cabin and surrounding area before they finally halted and dismounted. Connie said, adjusting his rifle under his arm, "Damn, that was close. I wonder what could have happened if they'd caught us? Would they torture us like they did Pastor Nick?"
"Captain," Armin asked, "How did Commander Erwin know they were headed here?"
Levi sighed.
"The government has passed down some new orders. There's been a freeze on all Scout Regiment activity outside the wall. We are to hand over Eren and Historia."
"No," Lorraine gasped. Before she could say anything, Nifa said, "Captain, I didn't have the chance to tell you earlier, but some MP's came for the Commander right after I left." Hanji gasped.
"What?! Is he some kind of criminal now?"
Levi said, adjusting his grip on his own rifle, "The government is bringing this fight out into the open. No more working from the shadows." Hanji said, "Yes, they plan to protect the walls' secrets at any cost. But why? And what exactly do they need Eren and Historia for?" She scratched her chin thoughtfully and wondered aloud, "If they don't want them dead, then what is it they're planning, exactly?"
"Who knows," Levi said nonchalantly, "But they want these two and they're being anything but subtle about it." He looked down at the cabin, watching the soldiers scour the building for any clue to their whereabouts.
"It's not safe for us to linger here. We need to move Eren and Historia to Trost."
Moblit said hesitantly, "We're taking them to the same district where Pastor Nick was just murdered?" Levi looked back up at Moblit.
"Heading towards the Interior would be worse. With Trost in a panic, we should be able to slip in undetected with no problems. If things go all to Hell, then we can use our gear as a last resort."
Armin said, "That's true." Levi continued, "We don't know the identity of our enemy just yet, but I have an idea of how we can change that. Hanji, I'll need you to lend me some of your squad." Hanji nodded.
"Okay," she said, "I'm going after Commander Erwin. Moblit, you stay with me. The rest of you, you'll all go with Levi."
"Roger!"
As Hanji started to get back onto her horse, Eren rushed over to her and handed her a note.
"Hanji! I remembered a conversation between Ymir and Bertholdt. I wrote it down for you. It's all there."
She smiled and shoved the note into her jacket pocket.
"Thank you. I'll look at it later."
With a swift kick to the horse's side, she took off, followed closely by Moblit. The Scouts looked at each other for a brief moment before jumping onto their own horses. Levi said, "You heard me. We're going to Trost. We'll ride through the night. Let's go!"
"Yes, Sir!"